Overcoming Yourself
by Aratelinwen
Summary: The last installment of my series, following "One Last Hope". Jim is now married, and hoping for the life he has always dreamed. But he's found himself come face to face with ghosts from his past that he must over come or suffer their harsh consequences.
1. A Reoccuring Nightmare

Welcome to the final installment in my _Treasure Planet_ series. It has been over eight years since I started this series, and I have grown very close to these characters and their personal endeavors. I'm very grateful to all of my readers and I thank you for not only your wonderful and helpful reviews, but your loyalty in following Jim and Jen's adventures.

As I have grown, so has my writing, and I do want to point out, this will the most dramatic and heavy piece of the series, but I hope it still brings the same enjoyment as the other. So, thank you once again, and I know present the conclusion to Jim and Jen's adventures in "Overcoming Yourself".

Disclaimer: A mouse owns all the rights to _Treasure Planet_.

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"_Congratulations" was the last thing Jim Hawkins and his new wife Jen Hawkins heard as they escaped the festivities following their wedding. There was laughter and giggling amongst themselves as they raced upstairs, away from their guests, and hid in Jen's bedroom. Jim then locked the door, as Jen put her arms around him, still in a fit of giggles. It was apparent that amongst their celebrating, they had a few drinks as their demeanor was as bright and giddy as when they had sailed home from Golden Sun all that time before. The heart breaking trials they had faced since they had docked that trip could not be read on either of their persons, as all that came across was excitement and content._

_Jen then leaned in for a kiss from the handsome captain, and then moved her lips to his ear and whispered, "I'll be right back." She then slowly walked, because of her dress, into another room and closed the door._

_The young man stood there with a grin on his face for a moment before taking off the jacket of his uniform and placing it over the chair beside him. It had finally hit him. He was married to the girl of his dreams, and nothing and no one would ever be able to separate them. They had battled pirates, former friends and family, and even the natural obstacles to make it that far. If none of that had stopped them than nothing would. Their love was strong enough to overcome most anything it seemed, and that put his mind at ease._

_He then leaned over and nonchalantly pulled out a bottle of Nerium Oleanderwine with two glasses. Next, he poured the sparkling pinkish purple liquid into each glass and set them down, awaiting his wife's return. _

"_Waiting for something?"_

_Jim turned his head to see Jen standing in the doorway, covered by a sheer robe. The grin widened on his face, as he watched her. "I believe I was waiting on my wife," he said, playfully._

"_Well, it's a good thing she's here," Jen said, as she walked over towards him, and he pulled her into a kiss. She then whispered, "I'm so happy to be your wife."_

"_I'm happy you're not Taran's wife," he spoke, as he kissed her cheek._

"_And if I had been, I would have left him in a flash of light for you," she responded with a smile._

_Jim then kissed her other cheek, and turned for the two glasses. "A toast then!" he spoke up, as he handed one of the glasses to Jen. "To us!" and he held the glass up._

"_To love," she sweetly said, as she held her glass up._

_He just smiled then added, "To love", and they both drank from their glasses._

_A few moments later, a strained breath escaped Jen's mouth, as she dropped her glass, and it shattered all over the floor. She moved her hand to her neck, gasping for breath, and straining to keep her eyes focused on anything. It was not long before all feeling in her legs gave out, and she fell to the floor, semi-conscience. _

_Seeing this brought fear to the captain's eyes, as he quickly set his glass down and kneeled down next to his wife. "Jen!" he called, as he took her in his arms. His breathing strained, as he fought to keep screaming out to her, not having a voice anymore from the shock. It was only when he saw her eyes lose focus and start to close that he struggled to cry out to her again._

Jim's eyes flashed open, and they darted about the room, trying to get his bearings straight on what was going on. He was in a bed in his new home and just awoken from a nightmare. In fact, it was a nightmare that he had had on several occasions since their wedding six months ago, and each time it occurred, it felt more and more real. Then, as he always did after awakening from the terrifying reverie, he turned his head to see Jen sleeping by his side with her arms wrapped around his chest. It was only at this pleasant sight that he finally calmed himself down and reminded himself that it was just a dream.

His head then flopped back onto the pillow, as he starred up at the ceiling, thinking about everything that had happened to them. Had they really over come so many obstacles to get where they were? Yes, they had, and with Jen's inheritance money, there was no need for either of them to have to worry about taking a job ever again. The only problem standing in their way was how the sailing called to Jim, almost beckoning him to come out for more adventures.

A gentle kiss on his cheek then broke him from his thoughts.

"Is everything alright?"

He turned his head to look at Jen, who moved her hand to his cheek, very worried about him. All he could do was look at her, and it was as if she could read his mind. Everything was not alright.

"It was that dream again, wasn't it?"

"Yeah… Yeah, it was," Jim started, the fear almost coming back to him. "It's getting more and more real."

She then moved closer to him, trying to keep him in a comforting embrace. "Why don't you tell me about the dream? Maybe it will help it go away."

Jim wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her everything. But, how do you explain being the reason for your wife's death? And not only once, but many times. The dream always made him feel guilty, and even though he knew Jen would understand, he just could not bring himself to admit he even thought about her gone. So, all he could do was shake his head at her, and keep quiet.

"Well, when you want to talk, I'll be right here," she said and kissed him. "I just wish you didn't have to leave so soon."

"I got hired to captain a merchant cargo. It's not a dangerous mission," he said, trying to relax her mind.

"I know, but it has been nice having you home," she responded with a smile.

He looked over at her, knowing she was right about being by her side. In fact, aside from the time he was trying to get back home from the state Taran left him in, he had not left her side since she came home from the hospital all that time ago. A thought then struck him. "Why don't you come with me? It will be just like old times."

A sad smile came to her face, afraid to answer him. "You know I want to go with you, but I think I better stay home this time."

The answer caught Jim off guard, expecting her to say yes. She had always joined him on any mission or even something as simple as solar surfing, which he taught her on their second date and has become a fun past time for them. "Why?"

"I… I just think I need to spend some time with your mom. It will be a chance for both of us to really get to know one another."

She was lying, and he knew it. Jen and Sarah were already very close, and it would be hard for them to get any closer than the mother- daughter bond that they had formed. In fact, aside from him and his mom, the only other one she was as close to was Silver, who had kept the young couple under his watchful eye. However, she had to have had a good reason to lie to him, so he did not press the matter further. It was obvious she did not want to go on this trip.

"We at least have our dinner tonight," she said sweetly, trying to lift his spirits after the answer she gave him.

"Yeah, we at least have that," he said, as he wrapped his arms around her, starting to drift back into his mind with not only the dream, but her refusal to be with him.

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And we're getting off to a series of un-answered questions. Why is Jen refusing to go sailing with Jim? Why is Jim having this terrible reoccurring nightmare? All of these questions and more will be answered. So stay tuned.


	2. What Are You Hiding?

Disclaimer: A mouse owns all the rights to _Treasure Planet_.

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"So, Jim asked me to go with him on his next mission," spoke up Jen, as she sat at a table at the Benbow Inn with a mug in her hand.

"What did you tell him?" asked Sarah, as she came over with a pot of hot coffee and refilled Jen's mug before sitting down. It was a slow morning at the Inn, and the two women spent it just catching up with one another.

Jen just looked down at her mug and let out a deep breath. "I told him no."

"You know, that's going to have him suspicious," spoke up Sarah, as she took a seat down at the table with Jen, pouring herself a mug before placing the pot down.

"Well, he didn't question it," replied Jen, as she kept looking at her mug and tracing her finger around the rim of it.

"Where's Jim right now?"

"Out solar surfing. I told him I wasn't up for a ride this morning."

Sarah sat there quietly for a few moments. Deep down, she knew exactly what Jen knew, and it was going to be hard to keep a secret. "Knowing Jim, he knows you're keeping something from him. You've never turned him down to go surfing before, unless you were sick, and now you're refusing to go sailing with him."

"He didn't invite anyone else to go on the mission," Jen jumped to defense.

"Because this isn't one where he could choose the crew. You know if he could have chosen his crew, he would have done so in a second. I'm sure he would have even had to have pulled some strings to get you on the ship."

"I know… I know. I'm just nervous to talk to him," started the young girl, as she leaned back in her chair.

The Inn owner then stood up and placed a hand on Jen's shoulder. "Don't worry. Jim will understand everything. You just need to sit him down and tell him."

Jen just shook her head a bit. "But what if he doesn't? What do I do then?"

"You have to trust him. I know this sounds strange coming from me, but marriage is not only built on love, but trust as well," Sarah said before she made her way to the kitchen.

"Is that what happened to your marriage?"

The question stopped Sarah dead in her tracks. It was a topic she had not brought up yet to her new daughter in-law, but she knew it would eventually happen. So all she could do was take a deep breath. "Leland and I had been drifting apart for some time before he left," she started before turning around to face Jen. "Sailing is a full time career, and it keeps you away from your family more than you can imagine…. And things happen."

"Like what?"

"I don't know… The only thing I'm certain of is it changes a person," started Sarah, a smile almost coming to her face thinking on happy times. "When Leland and I were first married, we were so happy. After Jim was born, for the first year, nothing could have been more perfect, but work started to get in the way. He wanted to spend more and more time in space, doing who knows what. So, when the morning finally came that he told me he was leaving for good, I should have been more prepared for it, but the heartache was still too much. I loved him, but I did not love what he became."

Jen just sat there listening, and too stunned to speak for a little while. She did not know much of Leland Hawkins, because neither Jim nor Sarah ever brought him up, and so this was her first account on the man. All she wondered was why someone would be so selfish and give up their family that did love them. Her parents always came home from their trips, and they were a loving family. Never once did she question them ever distancing themselves from her.

"Do you think Jim will ever become like him?"

"No!" spoke up Sarah, almost immediately. "Jim will never turn into Leland. The only thing they share is sailing," and she went back to Jen. "Don't worry. Jim loves you, and he's not going to leave you."

A smile finally came to Jen's lips. "Thank you, Mom."

The door then swung open, as Jim stepped inside, looking a little exhausted, but free spirited as if he were a teenager again."Whoa… that was amazing…"

Jen looked over at him, the smile getting bigger and a little laugh escaped. "I take it you had a good ride."

"Well…" he started as he went over to the two women in his life. "It would have been better with you holding onto me," he said with a wink.

"Next run, darling," Jen said, as she kissed his cheek.

Jim was a little put off from the simple peck on the cheek, and the emotions showed on his face. Deep down he knew something was wrong, but did not know how to bring it up. Of course, it was his mom took note of the awkward situation first and spoke up before anyone else could, "Well, I should probably get ready for the lunch crowd. You two kids have fun in whatever you decide to do tonight," and she looked over at Jen, as if to tell her it is time to talk, before walking out of the room with the pot in her hand.

The girl turned her head away, as Jim looked over at her, the madness building up inside of him of what could be going on. "What was that all about?"

"It… It was nothing. Let's go home," Jen said, as she stood up and walked out the door, quickly.

All Jim could do was blink at his wife hastening from his side. Something was definitely going on, and he was determined to find out what the secret was. So, a moment later, he collected his thoughts and rushed out of the Inn after Jen. "Wait up!" he called to her, as he run up to her side, and she still did not look him in the eye. "Hey!" he called as he finally caught up to her and moved his hand under her chin to face him. "Tell me what's going on."

"I will…. Just not now," she said, as she shook her head and started walking again.

"When?"

Jen stopped in her tracks for a few moments to respond, "Tonight. I promise," and then continued her walk, leaving the young spacer to wonder how bad the news was, if she was not willing to share with him then.

"I'll hold you to it," he whispered under his breath, before slowly following her home.

Things were as quiet as can be the rest of the day and even on the ride over to their favorite restaurant. Jen was avoiding Jim, who was doing everything in his power not to bring up the topic of what could be wrong. If he did not ask soon, it would drive him mad. After all, he was leaving for a few months, and if he did not get an answer tonight, he more than likely would not get one until he returned.

Upon being seated at their usual table, Jen quickly picked up the menu to hide behind it, so even if Jim wanted to speak, he would be talking to an inanimate object. It seemed ridiculous that she would do this, to pretend that she was even looking at the menu, when they order the same thing every time they came here. The last thought went through his head, and he could not take it anymore, when he went to go and open his mouth to finally question her.

"Welcome back, madam and monsieur. How can I be of service to you tonight," questioned the waiter, who had snuck up on the couple.

The young captain just took a deep breath to relax himself, although all of the energy inside of him was building up and about to explode. "… We'll have our usual and the Celestial wine…"

"Oh, just some water for me," spoke up Jen rather quickly, as the waiter bowed and left.

Jim was completely taken off guard. She had been so quiet since they left the Benbow Inn and now when she spoke up, she practically questioned his knowledge of her. That was it. She was hiding something, and he could not wait any longer for her to speak up. He stood up out of his seat and started yelling, "Alright, Gweneth, what are you hiding? You turn me down to go sailing, surfing, and now this!"

"Jim, keep it down. Everyone's staring," she responded quietly, as her eyes looked about the frozen room to see all of them fixated on their table.

"I don't care! Let them stare! Just tell me what is going on!" he fumed, as his focus remained fixated on his wife.

Jen just took a deep breath, wishing she did not have to speak up right now, but knew it would be the only way to calm the young captain down. "I'm pregnant," she practically whispered.

Silence ensued for a moment, as Jim's temper came crashing down, not able to believe what he had just heard. "What?"

"The reason I can't do all of that with you is because I'm pregnant," she spoke up, trying to keep her composure while waiting on his reaction.

There was no reaction from anyone in the room, except for Jim's jaw dropping. He was completely stunned at what he had just heard. All of the emotions were battling inside of him fighting to get out, but he was not sure which one would win out in the end. "You're pregnant?" he finally asked, trying to wrap his mind around the idea, and she just nodded her head.

A smile came to his face, and he ran over and hugged her. "We're going to be parents," he said to her then stood up and looked at the room. "We're going to have a baby!"

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A happy ending to what could have been a disaster, right? Well, stay tuned to find out what fate has in store for them.

Also, don't forget to leave a review.

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ScratStich- Thanks. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. ;)


	3. Secrets, Secrets Are No Fun

Disclaimer: And once again, I own nothing from _Treasure Planet_, just Gwen and my own writing.

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"We have to tell everyone!" said Jim, as he walked to the Benbow Inn with his arm around Jen, keeping her close to him.

"Well… not everyone…" Jen said shyly.

The captain stopped short and turned to look in her eyes. "Why not everyone?"

"Umm… well, your mom… kind of already knows…"

"Whoa… whoa! You told Mom already? Why did you tell her and not me?" asked Jim, stunned at the news.

She just looked away, rubbing her hand over her face. "I… I was nervous. Everything was just so shocking, and I didn't know who to turn to about all of this…"

"You should have been able to turn to me," he said softly, interrupting her.

All that Jen could do was take a deep breath to keep herself from getting too emotional. "I wanted to, Jim. I really wanted to. It's just that…" she stopped and turned to look him in the eyes. "… I was scared to tell you the news. You're leaving for your first mission since what happened with Taran, and I did not want this news to possibly change that or affect you in any way that could alter a smooth sailing."

Her comment made Jim stop and think. Since hearing the news that they were expecting, he had completely forgotten that he was setting sail first thing in the morning. All he could think about was being with his family and taking care of his now pregnant wife. Now thinking on the harsh reality of their situation, he was thinking exactly as she had predicted. Leaving her for a few months was the last thing he wanted to do, but he also knew deep down inside that he still had the adventure calling to him.

"Jim?"

He opened his eyes; his wife's voice breaking his concentration.

"Please tell me that you're not thinking of changing your mind."

"I… well… how can I not?"

"Because you have a responsibility to your job and to yourself," she said as she put her hands on his shoulders.

Jim looked her squarely in the eyes, to meet her gaze. "I also have a responsibility to you and our family."

All Jen could do was let a smile come to her lips. "I'll be fine… We'll be fine. You will only be gone for two maybe three months."

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me? I can keep a better eye on you."

She let out a little laugh before responding, "Jim, everything will be alright. Besides, I think its best I stay close to home and a doctor, just incase."

The captain leaned forward and kissed her brow. He knew that she was strong and could handle herself, but he could not help but want to stay by her side in the event that anything could happen. After all that they had been through, it was not too farfetched to believe that what he wanted was the wise choice. However, after a deep breath, he also knew that he was never going to change her mind, and he might as well do this one journey. Once he returned home, he would be able to stay by her side and not take off on another mission, as long as he had a say.

"So, should we go tell everyone? After all, you don't want to miss your own going away party," spoke up Jen with a smile.

Jim just smiled and shook his head. He did not see a reason to have a going away party, but everyone insisted on seeing him one last time before he took off on his next mission. They acted as if it might be the last time they saw him, and he thought they were crazy. However, he remembered his first voyage to Treasure Planet, and recalled that they had lost the first mate, Mr. Arrow, and the heartbreaking speech Captain Amelia gave and that last phrase which will live on in his mind, "… He knew the risks, as do we all…" The young captain knew why they acted that way, but he was determined to return home.

"Yes, let's go," he said, while putting his arm back around Jen and leading her to the Benbow Inn.

"Shhh…. 'ere they come," quietly whispered the cyborg to the dark room, as all the eyes turned in the direction of the whacky robot.

B.E.N. looked around the room, his eyes glowing bright blue amidst the darkness. "What?" he questioned, as Silver just rolled his eye, and moved over beside the door.

A moment later, the doorknob began to turn and Jim's voice could be heard from the other side. "Are you sure they're here? I don't think anyone's home."

"Just go inside," Jen's voice urged, as the door slowly opened up.

"Maybe they went to our house," said Jim stepping inside with Jen, as the door slowly closed behind them. He then quickly moved himself in between Jen and the door, trying to protect her from whatever could be there. His instincts were to do anything to protect his wife now, even if it meant sacrificing himself. "Who's there?" he questioned in a steady voice with his gun in hand and pointed.

"Don't ya be worryin' now, Jimbo," spoke up Silver, as Jim's arms started to lower the gun. "We just be wantin' to surprise you," he said with a wink, as the lights flicked on and everyone came out of hiding.

"Bravo, Mr. Hawkins," spoke up Amelia, coming over to them. "I knew that you would have a valor reaction."

"But, let's never try that again," added in Doctor Delbert Doppler, as he stood up and adjusted his spectacles. "Jim's shot is too good."

"I taught him too well," said Silver, stepping out with a grin on his face.

Jim just gave a sly smile, as he shook his head and put his gun back on his pocket. "And let me guess, you were the mastermind behind all this."

"Actually, that would be me," and Jim turned around to face Jen. "Surprise," she said with a sheepish grin.

"But why?"

"Well, maybe she thought you needed a little excitement before you took off on your boring mission," spoke up Sarah in a joking manner, as she walked over towards Jim and hugged him and looked over at Jen. All the young girl did was smile and nod back at her mother-in-law, before Sarah smiled and moved to look at her son, who was now slightly taller than her. "I'm so happy for you," she whispered.

"Mom…" he said, almost embarrassingly, as he took a step back and moved his hand across his face, a nervous habit that Jen picked up.

"So, what the big secret?" asked B.E.N. as he made his way over towards the group.

"Secret?" questioned Silver, looking down on Jim.

"Uh… well…." started Jim, not sure what his mom had said to anyone, and pretty much taken by surprise at the question. He looked over at Jen, who had the same look of shock on her face. It was apparent that neither of them were ready to bring the topic to light so quickly.

"Jim…" quietly spoke Jen, as she placed her hand gently on his shoulder a few moments after getting over the shock. He then turned his head to look at her. "I don't think we'll be able to hold off the news any longer."

The captain still looked a little caught off guard, and his legs were growing a bit limp. Noticing this, Jen quickly put her arm around Jim to steady him, as Sarah moved a chair over for him to sit down in. It had been so easy for him to announce to complete strangers that he was going to be a father, but telling the ones he loved… that was a different story. How would it look in their eyes for him to just abandon his wife, who was now expecting? Captain Amelia would probably tell him that the job comes first, however.

"Darling, are you alright?" Jim heard and looked over at his wife. His eyes had a distant look to them, and it was the first time he had felt lacking since returning home, and Silver took note of that.

"I… I…." started Jim, as he looked into Jen's eyes and saw nothing but the horrible dream he had had the night before. Quickly he closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath to get the deathly vision out of his head. "I'm fine…."

"Are you sure?" she asked, doubting his words, as Morph flew over and floated next to her.

"Yeah… Yeah, I'm fine," he finally got out, his head still reeling from everything.

"Would someone be tellin' us what's going on?" spoke up Silver, as his patience began to wear thin.

Jen's head popped up at the others and once again just blurted out the news. "We're going to have a baby!"

For the second time in the Inn, silence ensued the news that was blurted out by the young couple, and the Hawkins family waited for any reaction. Silver was the first to speak up. "Is this true, Jimbo?"

The captain slowly nodded his head, his life still one big blur spinning around as a vision in front of his eyes.

"Well then, I believe congratulations are in order," Silver said, as he walked over and took Jen's hand and kissed the back of it. He then playfully clapped Jim's back, as the others followed in suit of the opening gesture.

It was then that all of reality began to disintegrate in front of Jim's eyes. He could hear voices of congratulations or asking about the baby or what plans they had for the turn of events. The last words he could recall was that in his wife's voice asking, "Jim, are you alright? Do you need to go home?"

It would be the next morning before he could grasp anything that even remotely mirrored his reality, and by then, he was standing on the docks of the Montressore Space Port with Jen, Sarah, Morph, and Silver at his side. All he could do was stare at the small vessel that he was supposed to captain to the Coral Galaxy. That seemed to be the only thing to make any sense to him at the moment.

"Have a good journey," spoke up Sarah, cutting through his mentality, as she hugged her son goodbye. It was the same thing she always said to him and to her husband, back when they were together, before every voyage.

"He'll get the crew ship shape and be back before we know it," spoke up Silver, and Morph mimicked "Ship Shape. Ship Shape."

A small smile came to his face, as he looked at his mom and best friend. "You guys just take care of everything. I don't want to come back to the Benbow being overrun," he said with a wink.

Silver just laughed, as a look of horror came over Sarah's face. "Don't you be worryin', lad. We'll keep an eye on everyt'ing," replied Silver, after calming down.

Jim just kept smiling, as he turned his attention to Jen. "You, I'm going to miss most of all," he said, as he looked her over to get the last images of her implanted into his memory.

"I'll miss you too, spacer," she replied with a kiss.

"Promise me that you'll take care of yourself?"

All she could do was giggle a bit. "You know I will. I will be waiting right here when you get back."

That was the bit of confidence that Jim needed to hear before he got his voyage underway. He then pulled her into an embrace and whispered, "I love you," before kissing her, and making his way up the gangplank.

"Jim!" he heard and turned around once at the top of the board. He then looked down to see Jen blow him a kiss and call up, "I love you too!"

He then caught the kiss in his hand, then with the other gave the group a small wave before moving towards his cabin and the start of his first job since the wedding. Things were finally going to be just fine.

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It seems like smooth sailing, except for something is troubling Jim now. What could it be? Stay tuned to find out.

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ScratStitch- It's always nice to keep something a shock, even if you can't keep it all a secret. ;) I'm glad you enjoyed Sarah's dialogue tho.

RebelliousAngel183- Thank you so much. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.


	4. A Race Against Time

Sorry it took so long for the update, but working two jobs will do that to you.

Disclaimer: And once again, I own nothing from _Treasure Planet_, just Gwen and my own writing.

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Things were going to be just fine…. the last thoughts of the captain as he boarded his vessel all those months ago. Jim looked up at a calendar to see that it had been almost eight months since that faithful day. Of course, the journey went as smooth as possible, but upon arriving home, he was not only met by his wife, but by a formal officer with urgent news. He was needed for yet another mission…

"_It is with the utmost importance that we are in need of your service once again, Captain Hawkins," spoke up the Officer holding a letter in his hand._

"_No…" Jim started, with his arm around Jen. "I… I can't. We're having a baby in five months!"_

"_Do not worry, Captain. You will return in time," replied the Officer, extending his arm out with the letter in it to Jim._

"_You don't understand!" Jim started yelling, dropping his hold on Jen and stepping forward. "I am NOT going to go! I have a family to think about now."_

_Jen then gently placed her hand on Jim's shoulder to calm him and quietly said, "Jim…" and the young captain turned to face her. "It's alright. As long as you're back in time, we can take care of ourselves…"_

"_No. It's not alright, Jen. I shouldn't have to be forced to leave you right now."_

"_It's your job."_

"_We've had this discussion before. I was only doing the one voyage, and then I was coming home and not leaving you again," he replied and then pulled her into a hug._

"_I know, but it will be alright if you need to go out again. After all, how much trouble can we get into waiting around here," she replied with a soft smile._

_Jim looked her straight in the eye, knowing full well that she would be safe, but after all they had seen, was not willing to give in so easily. The nightmare he had experienced was once again filling his mind, and all that in account was making himself want to resist the orders more and more. If anything happened to his wife while he was gone, he would just…_

"_What is your decision, Captain Hawkins?" interrupted the robotic officer in his staccato speech pattern._

_All he could do was take a deep breath and look back into Jen's eyes. "Are you sure you will be fine?"_

_She just smiled and nodded her head. "Your mom and Silver have been taking good care of me… and Morph has been great company," Jen spoke up, reassuringly. "Just promise me you'll return in time."_

"_I wouldn't miss it for all the treasure in the universe," he responded then kissed her forehead. _

"_Captain Hawkins."_

_Jim rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, now growing impatient with the robot, much as he had in his troubled teenage years. He then turned around, and with a very much non-enthusiastic response he said, "I'll do it."_

"_Very good. Follow me," and the officer slowly turned and started rolling off._

_The young captain quickly kissed his wife and whispered, "I'll be back in time. I promise," then started walking backwards, keeping his eyes fixated on her form for as long as he could. _

It was with a knock on his door that Captain Hawkins' eyes flashed open and his memory of that day had ended. 

"Captain Hawkins?"

"You may come in, Mr. Amity," spoke up the captain.

The door opened and in came a middle aged Vulepous wearing aged spacer clothing. "Pardon the interruption," he started in a slight European accent. "But, I have come to inform you that we shall be docking at the Montressore Spaceport in the early morning."

A grin came to Jim's face, as he said, "Three weeks ahead of schedule."

"Precisely, sir."

Jim moved about the cabin, finally starting to feel like his old self, letting his excitement take over for just a little while and not caring that his first mate would witness such a display. "I can't wait to surprise her. I'll show up at the house with the Alchemy Grandidierite necklace…"

"The what… sir?" asked Mr. Amity, completely clueless as to what Jim was blabbering on about.

The captain turned to face his first mate, remembering he was standing in his cabin. "The Alchemy Grandidierite necklace contains a special gem that was discovered that connects two lovers through the soul and spirit as long as they have hope. It was… kind of a bonus for leaving my wife to complete this mission for his majesty."

Mr. Amity nodded his head a bit, listening to his captain. The Alchemy Grandidierite was a legend indeed among travelers in space, and he had heard of it, but was taken aback when Jim had told him that he had received it. Of course, as he spent much time with the young captain over the past several months, it was no surprise that he was indeed happy for his commander and friend. "Speaking of your wife, how is she?"

It was a surprise that Jim's grin could get bigger thinking more on Jen, as he responded. "When we last docked, I had received a halodevice stating that she was doing fine and everyone was taking care of her."

"I bet she cannot wait to have you home," the first mate responded with a smile.

Jim just nodded his head, smiling. "That part was at the end of the message."

Crash! Sarah looked over to see Jen standing over a broken dish. "I'm so sorry," the poor girl said, as she attempted to lean down and get the broken pieces off the floor.

"It's alright, Gwen. I've got it," spoke up Sarah, as she put her tray down and hurried over to pick up the pieces. "Just go have a seat."

Jen slowly moved over towards a chair and took a seat. "I seem to be more trouble than anything else."

"You're no trouble at all. Why, when I was pregnant with Jim, I was stuck in bed and Delbert was running errands for me when Leland was out sailing," Sarah said with a smile, as she put the broken pieces into the disposal.

Jen smiled back at her mother-in-law, happy to have her company. With Jim gone, the mansion seemed more barren than ever, so she enjoyed her days when she could spend them with her family and friends at the Benbow Inn. It was the same, every morning she would wake up and get ready then head over to help her mother-in-law with running the Inn. It helped the days to pass by and kept her busy enough so that by the time she went home, she just fell asleep to the recording of her wedding. Thinking on this brought a smile to her face until she felt a kick. "Ouch…" she cried, grabbing her stomach.

"Gwen, are you alright?" asked Sarah, going over towards her.

"Yes… I'm fine," she responded, trying to ignore the pain.

"It's the baby, isn't it? Lots of kicking?"

Jen just nodded her head. "Even more so lately. It's like the child just can't wait to get here."

"The last few weeks are always the hardest," Sarah responded with a smile.

"As long as Jim is home in time, it doesn't bother me."

"Well, he will be home in less than three weeks."

"I can't wait till then…" Jen quietly spoke with a smile, as she sipped her tea.

"Prepare to embark!" cried out Mr. Amity, as the crew ran around the ship, getting it ready to dock at the Montressore Spaceport.

Jim stood on deck, holding on to the railing, as he looked out at the busy port. He was almost home, and he could not be any happier. It had been close to a year since he had seen his home and most of his family and friends. The journey to Treasure Planet had been long and then the one to Golden Sun, but at least then he was only separated from his mom. Aside from the time he had been split up from Jen before their marriage was the longest he had been away from her… until now, and he could not wait to see her again.

"Captain!" Jim heard, and turned his attention to Amity. "We have docked."

A grin grew on the young captain's face as excitement took over his very being. "Well, Mr. Ardent, it seems our voyage has ended, and I wanted to thank you and the crew…"

"Head on home, Captain."

"…Excuse me?" Jim asked, caught off guard by his first mate's interruption.

"Go home. We can finish it from here."

"I… I can't let you…"

"Go see your wife. I know you were un-justly thrown into this mission, and it's time you got to see her," Amity responded warmly.

All Jim could do was smile and nod. "Thank you…" he barely got out before racing to his quarters, grabbing his belongings and hurrying off the ship to the first transport down to Montressore.

A cry escaped Jen, as she grabbed a hold of a table top in her home. She was completely hunched over, ready to collapse to her knees, when Silver came racing to her aid. He was visiting with Sarah and Morph. "What's the matter, lass?" he asked.

"I… I think…"

"What?" and he went to help steady her.

"I think the baby's coming…" she barely got out.

Silver's eye grew wide, as he held her up, and called up the stairs, "Sarah! I best believing we should be getting Gweneth to the hospital!"

At Silver's voice, Sarah quickly headed down the stairs to the two of them with Morph chirping away behind her. She saw Jen breathing heavily and helped move a chair over for her to sit in. "I'll go call for some help," and she hurried out of the room.

"Don't worry, lass. We'll be takin care of ya," spoke silver quietly, trying to keep her calm.

The soon to be father ran straight into his home, without a moment to spare, hoping to surprise his wife. "Jen, I'm home!" he called out, but received no answer. "Jen?" he called once more, noting the stillness of the mansion. He started checking every room of the place, coming to a stop in front of the one room he was never allowed to approach. It was in this room that dust covered a few inches high from not being touched in over a decade. Jen had told him not to go in there, because no one was allowed as it was the last place she saw her parents after their murder. However, looking at it closer, he could see a few footprints amongst the dirtiness and streaks where it looked like something or someone had fallen down. The last bit was seeing a hand print on a table top that looked as if it were pulled across the smooth wooden grain.

His eyes grew big as dread started to fill within the young spacer. What if his nightmares were finally coming true and his wife was in trouble? He would never forgive himself for taking that mission if something had happened to her. "Jen! Please let me know if you're ok!" he screamed, and his voice echoed the cold walls and bounced back to his ears. It was a haunting sound that seemed to amplify his fears. "Where can she be?" he finally whispered, as he stood there in shock.

"Not now! Jim needs to be here," cried Jen, as she was rushed down the halls of the hospital to a delivery room.

"I'm sorry, Gwen, but you know that Jim is still on his mission and won't be home for three more weeks," spoke up Sarah, as she ran alongside.

Tears ran down Jen's cheeks. "This can't be happening…." and she let out a pain filled scream, as she was brought into a room.

"Well, babies have a way of getting what they want," her mother-in-law added in.

"But… he promised…"

"I'll go and send a message to the lad's ship," spoke up Silver, as he headed for the recording room.

Another agonizing cry escaped Jen's mouth, as she was wheeled into her room and helped onto a bed. "It's too early! The baby can't arrive this early!"

Sarah took her daughter-in-law's hand. "Just try to breathe for me, Gwen. Silver's working on getting the message to Jim to try to get him home sooner."

"But… it will be too late…" and Jen started to swoon.

"Gwen… Gwen, hang in there for me," spoke up Sarah urgently, trying to keep Jen from passing out. "Everything's going to be alright. You just need to hold on…."

"Where can the lad be…?" questioned Silver to himself, as he walked out into the waiting room, baffled that Jim's ship could not be traced out in the galaxy.

It was only then that a young captain came running into the hospital, seemingly out of breath and in a state of panic. He appeared to have just disembarked from his vessel and had been running around, possibly in search of someone. His mind was cluttered from worry, as he did not seem to recognize anything, except that one person. All of a sudden he heard, "Jimbo?" and his head spun in the direction of the old cyborg, relieved, yet nervous in finding his best friend. "Silver! I'm so glad you're here!" he exclaimed as he ran over to him.

"Oh, lad…" Silver got out, as he hugged Jim, relieved to see he was fine. "I was just tryin ta reach ya. Yer lass…"

"How is she? Where is she?" Jim urgently asked, almost tripping over his words.

"She's right this way… and about ta 'ave the baby," spoke Silver, as he led Jim back towards Jen's room.

All Jim could do was try to shake his head clear, as he stumbled through the halls and into the room to see his wife in a bed and his mother by her side. The same feeling that he had when he saw Silver returned. He finally found his family and was content about it, but the look on Sarah's face and the state Jen was in, made him concerned. Jim did not know much about labor or delivering babies, but he was sure his wife was not supposed to look like her body was going to give out at any moment. It was that very moment that brought back the awful re-occurring nightmare to his mind. Was it a prediction? And if it was, was this when he was going to lose her?

Once again, he tried to shake his head clear of all the horrid images that gravitated towards his brain and now focus at the situation at hand. So he quietly walked towards Jen's bedside and rested a hand upon his mother's shoulder, which startled Sarah, who looked up with wide eyes and jumped out of her seat to hug her son. "Jim, it's so good to see you," she whispered.

He just forced a smile and nodded his head a bit before turning his attention to Jen, who was going out of consciousness. "How is she?"

Sarah bit her lower lip, looking down on her daughter-in-law. "I've been trying to re-assure her that we would get ahold of you and try to calm her down."

Jim just closed his eyes, understanding, and leaned over his wife, taking her hand and moving his free one to her cheek. "Jen…. Jen, I'm here. I made it back early," he mustered up, trying to encourage her.

It was only with the sound of his voice that Jen could finally start to pull back from the darkness she was succumbing to. Her eyes began to flutter open to look into his blue eyes for the first time in months and a small smile came to her face. "Jim… you're back…"

A smile came to his, as he brushed her hair to the side. "I told you I would be."

Her smile only stayed on for a few moments before her breathing began to strain, once again. A rush of pain was shooting through her body and all she wanted to do was scream, but she was not sure if she had the energy to even do that.

"Somebody get a doctor!" cried out the young captain, as he faced the doorway with Silver and a few nurses standing by. "Jen? Jen, just stay with me. I'm not going to leave you, but you have to stay with me…. Jen….."

Several hours had passed and the spacer was walking the hallways, giving everyone their space for the time being. Ever since he agreed to that second mission, it seemed his life was a black hole, sucking it all in and throwing it about till it made no sense anymore. He wanted to stay with his wife, but something in the back of his mind told him that he needed to step away for a little while to sort things out. Maybe things would be clearer by the time he returned to the room, if any of it was to return back to their normal lives. It was all up to fate now.

"Jimbo?" and Jim turned his head to face Silver. "The doctors be wantin' a word with ya."

It took Jim a few moments, but he finally nodded and slowly walked back towards the room. He almost stopped dead in his tracks to find not one, but several doctor's standing outside Jen's room, and his heart felt like it skipped a beat. Something did not feel right. There should not have been this many physicians around.

"Captain Hawkins?"

Jim looked up, scared to answer, but forced himself to. "Yes, sir."

The middle aged doecian looked over the young man before continuing to speak. "Your wife is resting now…"

Jim let out a long, drawn breath. Those were the words he needed to hear. Jen was just resting now; she was going to be fine he believed.

"… And your son is being well taken care of and you can see him shortly."

He stopped in his thoughts of his wife for a few moments, doing a double take. His son? The young captain was now a father to a little boy and hoped seemed to swell within him. In fact, he was so excited, he could not help but throw his arms around the doctor and thank him, before running into the small room to have a seat near Jen.

She was sleeping, more than likely exhausted after delivering their child, and so he just took her hand and let her rest for a little while more. For the few precious minutes, he just watched her doze and thought about how happy he was to be able to just touch her again. Being gone for all those months made him realize how much more he did not want to live without her, and he swore he would not leave his family's side unless he had absolutely no choice. Sailing was not worth missing out on them.

His concentration was then broken when she began to stir. He focused on every move she made; still unable to believe he was watching her and not one of his day dreams in his mind. "Good evening, sleeping beauty," and he leaned down to kiss her.

All Jen could do was smile tiredly, still looking quite worn. "Is this a dream?" she asked.

"No," he started, as he took her hand in both of his. "I'm really here, and I'm not leaving you again."

She quietly nodded, while keeping her eyes wearily focused on his, noticing something strange but not taking too much note on it. "Where's the baby?" she tiredly asked

"They'll bring him in soon."

"Him? We have a son?"

Jim looked at her, a bit confused, but figured she was probably just too fatigued to fully know what was going on. "Yes, and he's just fine," he responded, as a nurse interrupted their solitude by bringing in the baby.

Jen's face lit up, as she slowly took the baby into her own arms and cradled him, trying to resist tears. "Jim… it's… it's our son."

Also resisting tears of happiness, the new father looked down on his infant son for the first time. "I can't believe it…"

"He's beautiful…." Jen whispered, as she pulled the blanket back just a little bit to be able to see him just a little bit more.

"What should we name him?" asked Jim, looking down on his family.

Thinking for just a few moments, Jen quietly spoke up, as she cuddled her son, "I've always loved the name Seth."

Jim looked down on the sleeping baby, brushing two of his fingers against the little one's cheek. "I like it. Seth it is."

"And what about a middle name?"

The captain thought about it for a moment, and then knew exactly what would make her happy. "How about we name him after your father? William?"

Jen just smiled, "I would really like that."

He then leaned down and kissed the baby's brow. "Hello, Seth William Hawkins… my son."

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Congratulations to the new parents! However, what will happen when they try to live up to the responsibilities of parenthood? Stay tuned to find out.

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ScratStich- I hope your feelings of dread were shoved aside for this chapter. ;) Anyways, I am glad you are enjoying thus far.


	5. Heed This As a Warning

Disclaimer: Disney still owns everything except for Gwen and Seth.

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The first few weeks were pleasant ones, minus the sleepless nights that Seth kept Jen and Jim up with his crying. It was hard to adjust to parenthood, but the young couple was doing their best with the help of their friends and family. However, the lack of sleep and relaxation, that they had become accustomed to, was starting to take its toll on them. Jen was beginning to become more zombie like, too exhausted to do much. In fact, she never fully recovered from the day at the hospital. On the other hand, Jim was starting to become a nervous wreck from worry over his family.

All of this became apparent on one morning a few months later, when Silver was visiting. Jen was fast asleep in bed, looking as worn as ever from being up the previous night with Seth. Jim was in the kitchen cleaning up the mess he had made while attempting to make breakfast for his family and guest.

Crash!

"Jimbo, is everyt'ing alright?" asked Silver, slowly getting up from his seat.

Jim just put his head in his hands, as he leaned over the sink and the pieces of the broken plate lay a strewn all over the ground. "I'm fine…" he muttered through his hands, as the old cyborg made his way through the door frame into the kitchen to see the young man over the sink that was filled with water. His mind was racing with visions and memories of a place far away, but not so long ago. And everything he could see was pulling him out of his time and place to the point that the clumping of Silver's mechanical leg soon was not apparent. Slowly his hands began to slide down his face, as it splashed into the water and another world.

_Swimming around in the water, Jim looked around, trying to piece together where he was and what was going on. So much was going on that it never occurred to him that he was not having any difficulty breathing in this vast oceanic area. There were shades of colors coming into his vision through the watery swirl around him, but none were cheery. _

_His head then sharply turned when he felt a scaly brush against his arm and looked for the owner of whatever it was that had touched him. Those piercing blue eyes darted in every direction yet they came up empty handed. This sense of in-security made Jim even more un-easy than he had been, and he tried to swim faster through the currents. It was not until a familiar sight caught his eye did he stop. "Jen…"_

_The sight of his wife, standing before him, made him forget all of his worries and for a split second focus on only the positive. He then attempted to swim towards her, but try as he might, he could not get any closer. In fact, the harder he tried, the further away she got, until he saw her reach out her hand before slowly pulling it back in as she fell out of existence. For one moment, he froze before screaming and trying to swim to where she disappeared to. All he could do was swim and call out her name._

"_Dad…"_

_That sound stopped him once more and then his eyes looked everywhere for the owner of the voice. "Seth…" he uttered, and frantically started swimming in every direction, trying to find his son. For a split moment, he thought he saw a young man walking away from him, and stopped to call out, "Seth!" but the image quickly vanished. _

_A moment later, he felt himself begin to spin, very slowly at first, but as he began to struggle, it became faster and faster. All he could hear was voices of his past, forewarning him of what he had gotten himself into. Warnings that he should have heeded and warnings that he had not yet heard. It was all too much for him to bear, and he let out an agonizing scream, as he felt a hand grab a hold of his shoulder and yank him back. _

Jim spat up water, as he coughed trying to get what he could out of him before he could choke. "Are you alright, lad?" was all he could hear, as his eyes were still blurry and his senses were still lost in the reverie. The spinning had messed with his head, and the drastic change in environment was all too much to handle at one time. In fact, it was so much that as he gasped for air, he fell back, and Silver caught him in his arms and then brought him to one of the chairs, so he could have a seat.

"Just breathe, lad," Silver calmly spoke, as he tried to keep the young man sitting upright in his seat.

"Where… where am I?" Jim finally spoke up with much trouble.

"Yer at yer home, Jimbo."

Jim's eyes finally opened as he looked around, still not sure if he was home or not. "Where's Seth? Where's Jen?"

"Shh… they're sleepin upstairs, which is what you should be doin' afore you hurt yerself," and Silver tried to slip his mechanical arm around Jim's shoulders to help him up, but the captain shrugged him off and stumbled for the window sill. "Jimbo?"

"Something's… something's not right…" Jim spoke, as he clutched the wooden ledge.

"Lad, you need to tell me what's going on here," spoke up Silver, as he made his way over to his friend.

"I… I… was lost… in a place I think I was before…"

Silver stood up straight with worry. "Where was this place?"

Jim kept gasping and stumbling over his words, not sure if even he was sure of what was going on. "I… I don't know… It was a place of healing…. But now… it's a nightmare…"

"Was this where you landed after your brawl with that friend of yours?" Silver asked and Jim nodded some. "Tell me more, lad…"

"It was mostly water…. And there was a girl… who saved me… She healed my wounds and… and… breathed… life into me… But now… I'm seeing her…. more than Jen in my dreams…" he tried to get out.

A worried look came over Silver's face as Jim tried to explain what was happening, and he looked some of the visible old wounds on the lad's body that were not covered by clothing. "Vitae Aquae …"

"What…?" the young captain said, looking up.

"Vitae Aquae is a water planet in the Coral Galaxy, and it is said to have special powers that can give a spacer all they desire…. But there is a cost that must be paid in the end."

A look of fear struck Jim in his eyes. "What… what's that?"

"It is said to be like the song of a siren… always calling them home and giving no rest to the weary. However, as a siren is… it will destroy them."

Panic spread across Jim's face, not wanting to die. He had worked too hard to lose what he loved, and no spell could tear it all away from him. "No.. No! I can't let it win!"

"You won't, lad. We'll help you to make sure of it."

Jim then looked back and up at the stairs that he could see through the wooden door frame. Up those stairs and down the hall was his entire world, peacefully sleeping without the slightest inkling that something could be wrong. He then made a promise to himself that no matter what would happen, he would be there to see to it that his son would grow up and became an outstanding citizen in society and that his wife would be proud of the both of them. After a few moments of thinking it over, Jim turned his attention back towards the outside world.

"Silver… I need you to promise me something…" he then barely got out, and the cyborg looked up at him. "Say you'll promise me something."

"Aye, lad, I'll promise ye somethin'."

The captain looked out hard at the universe that lay outside his window. "Don't let me go on another mission again."

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Will Silver keep his promise? What will happen to the Hawkins family? Stay tuned to find out.

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ScratStitch- I'm glad you like the name Seth, as he'll be sticking around for awhile. ;) But be prepared for more intensity.


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